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The protest movement may not be televised, but it could have amphibious toes and large eyes.

Additionally, it could include a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

As demonstrations against the government persist in US cities, protesters have embraced the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and performed on unicycles, while officers observe.

Mixing levity and politics – a strategy researchers term "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in this period, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It originated after a video of a clash between a protester in an inflatable frog and federal officers in the city of Portland, spread online. And it has since spread to protests nationwide.

"There is much going on with that little frog costume," notes an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies performance art.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by online communities during a political race.

As the meme initially spread on the internet, it was used to express specific feelings. Afterwards, it was deployed to express backing for a political figure, including a particular image retweeted by the candidate personally, portraying the frog with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in digital spaces in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was deployed a coded signal.

But the character did not originate this divisive.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has stated about his unhappiness for its co-option. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in his comic world.

Pepe first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – non-political and best known for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he said the character came from his experiences with companions.

When he began, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to the nascent social web, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As Pepe spread into darker parts of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves that creators cannot own symbols," explains Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reworked."

Previously, the association of Pepe resulted in amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to conservative politics. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when a viral moment between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The moment occurred shortly after an order to send military personnel to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to gather in droves on a single block, near an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an agent deployed pepper spray at a protester, targeting the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, stating it tasted like "something milder". However, the video went viral.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for the city, renowned for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that revel in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume became part of in a lawsuit between the federal government and the city, which argued the use of troops was illegal.

Although the court ruled that month that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "propensity for using unusual attire when expressing their disagreement."

"Some might view this decision, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber opined. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The order was stopped legally soon after, and troops have reportedly departed the area.

But by then, the frog had transformed into a powerful anti-administration symbol for the left.

The costume appeared across the country at No Kings protests recently. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was backordered on online retailers, and rose in price.

Shaping the Narrative

What brings both frogs together – lies in the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The strategy rests on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" act that draws focus to your ideas without directly articulating them. It's the goofy costume used, or the symbol you share.

The professor is both an expert in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The theory of this approach is three-fold, he says.

As protesters take on a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences